This invention is concerned with ordnance fuze power sources. Many types of military ordnance utilize some form of battery to power the fuzing, control or arming systems. In the case of artillery shells, these power sources can see 26000 g's combined setback and spin accelerations when the shell is fired, and must be capable of surviving these accelerations. In addition, the power sources must be capable of meeting a wide temperature range. A storage shelf life of the battery of about 5 years is required because the battery is often incorporated in the electronics and may sit for some time until the shell is fired. The battery must not activate from slight shocks or jars as would be encountered if the shell were to be accidentally dropped, but must fully activate upon at least a 1100 g setback acceleration. Furthermore, fuze batteries must have high power densities compared to comparably sized batteries used in other applications.
Spin activated reserve batteries which can meet all these requirements exist and are currently in production and use but they are very expensive. Another problem is that these batteries are difficult to manufacture so that at the onset of a national emergency production levels are expected to lag requirements for several months, thereby creating logistics problems.
What is needed is an inexpensive battery which can be easily assembled in large quantities with little set up time, and form, fit and function in place of the current military versions. The relative low cost of this battery will be a big plus, but more importantly the quick availability of the battery during national emergency will give a distinct logistics advantage over using the current spin activated reserve batteries. Prior attempts to construct a primary battery which will directly replace the spin activated reserve batteries have heretofore failed.